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ADU Costs: A Reality Check
By Lorianna Kastrop, Vice President/CFO, The Kastrop Group, Inc. Architects You want to build an Accessory Dwelling Unit on your...
Lorianna Kastrop
Jun 14, 20213 min read
13 views


Building an ADU: Part 3 Demolition
By Lorianna Kastrop, VP/CFO, The Kastrop Group, Inc., Architects This is a continuation of our series on building an ADU. Mike and I are...
Lorianna Kastrop
Feb 19, 20214 min read
5 views


Building an ADU: Part 2 Ordering Finishes
By Lorianna Kastrop, VP/CFO, The Kastrop Group, Inc. Architects I’m writing this in a state of aggravation, which I will explain below. ...
Lorianna Kastrop
Feb 11, 20215 min read
12 views


Check on who you are working with: Are they a licensed Architect?
By Lorianna Kastrop, Vice President, The Kastrop Group, Inc. Architects We can’t emphasize this enough—a designer is not a licensed...
Lorianna Kastrop
Feb 8, 20173 min read
10 views


Build it now or later? What are the considerations?
By Lorianna Kastrop, Vice President, The Kastrop Group, Inc. Architects So, you’ve missed the window for doing your construction project...
Lorianna Kastrop
Sep 20, 20162 min read
2 views


The Importance of a Preliminary Construction Estimate
By Lorianna Kastrop, Vice President, The Kastrop Group, Inc. Architects One of the services we provide to our clients is to obtain a...
Lorianna Kastrop
Jul 13, 20162 min read
3 views


Difficult Times for Small Projects: Contractor Bids per square foot way over average
By Lorianna Kastrop, Vice President, The Kastrop Group, Inc. Architects We are seeing a disturbing trend when getting contractor bids for...
Lorianna Kastrop
Jun 29, 20163 min read
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Should you get competitive bids for your project?
By Lorianna Kastrop, Vice President, The Kastrop Group, Inc. Architects We’ve seen an interesting phenomenon occurring lately, less...
Lorianna Kastrop
Jun 14, 20163 min read
9 views


Take automated construction cost estimating tools with a grain of salt
By Lorianna Kastrop, Vice President, The Kastrop Group, Inc. Architects A new tool has become available to the public: automated...
Lorianna Kastrop
May 31, 20163 min read
2 views


Project Steps: A Quick Overview
By Lorianna Kastrop, Vice President, The Kastrop Group, Inc. Architects We are often told by clients (and potential clients) that they...
Lorianna Kastrop
Feb 1, 20164 min read
4 views


5 New Year’s Resolutions for Architects
By Lorianna Kastrop, Vice President, The Kastrop Group, Inc. Architects Resolve not to take on any projects that give you a sinking...
Lorianna Kastrop
Jan 7, 20162 min read
2 views


Follow-up on a lost project lead: We told you so, but aren’t happy about it
By Lorianna Kastrop, Vice President, The Kastrop Group, Inc. Architects “Upside Down House,” in Bispingen, Germany. I would like to share...
Lorianna Kastrop
Dec 8, 20153 min read
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It Takes a Team: Construction problems that could have been avoided
By Lorianna Kastrop, Vice President, The Kastrop Group, Inc. Architects Lately we received calls from potential clients who want us to...
Lorianna Kastrop
Mar 4, 20153 min read
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Frank Gehry flips the bird and insults his profession
By Lorianna Kastrop, Vice President, The Kastrop Group, Inc. Architects Our design team got a laugh out of the news story from a press...
Lorianna Kastrop
Nov 18, 20142 min read
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Project Creep: A Cautionary Tale
Unforeseen conditions can sometimes cause a construction project to grow from what was originally planned into a bigger project. When...
Lorianna Kastrop
Aug 26, 20143 min read
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Remodel for your own needs and enjoyment
For someone who doesn’t really like to cook, I LOVE my new kitchen. You’ve heard the old expression, “The cobbler’s children have no...
Lorianna Kastrop
Jul 15, 20143 min read
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New Title 24 Energy Standards
On July 1, 2014 new Title 24 standards will go into effect. California’s Title 24 is the part of the state building code that defines...
Lorianna Kastrop
May 6, 20143 min read
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How do Architects Structure Their Fees?
When you call a lawyer and ask for their professional advice and they talk to you for half an hour, you expect to get a bill for half of...
Lorianna Kastrop
Apr 21, 20144 min read
7 views
Project Management: Expect the Unexpected
I just listened to a webinar sponsored by the Stanford Center for Professional Development. The speaker was Sam L. Savage and the topic...
Lorianna Kastrop
Mar 25, 20143 min read
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Architect or Starchitect?
The other day we received a referral from a friend who told us that her son and his wife wanted to remodel their home but were afraid to...
Lorianna Kastrop
Jan 29, 20143 min read
2 views